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May Nguyen
Mrs. Bergen, Mrs. Downer, Mrs. Ibrahim
English 10 – 3, Latin II – 2, History MWF
17 October 2010
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus
The revolutionary reforms of Tiberius and Gaius shattered the structure of the
Roman republic forever. Fear of their immense power and popularity with the Roman
people influenced the first act of violence in the Roman Republic; the first time a
tribune’s sacrosanctity was violated. Only a powerful revolution could have disturbed so
many years of peace in the government. Despite the various accusations and their tragic
end, the reforms and character of the Gracchi showed them to be truly honest politicians
who cared for the welfare of the Roman people.
Though the Gracchi were of noble birth, they made sacrifices to help the lower
classes of Rome. Richards states that the brothers were the first of the nobility to work for
the people, rather than personal gain: “For the day came when noblemen rose to power
who preferred true glory to unjust dominion.” (Richards 7). Had they been greedy,
power-hungry men, they would not have worked so hard to serve to the Roman people.
For example, in late 133 BC when King Attalus of Pergamum died and gave his will to
Rome, Tiberius suggested that the money should be dispersed evenly to the Roman
people, rather than be kept by the senate. This angered the senate, but won the support of
the people and demonstrated Tiberius’s loyalty to them. Tiberius Gracchus was not
deemed an aspiring tyrant by the majority of Rome, but only those who feared his
growing popularity.
Tiberius’s brother, Gaius Gracchus, demonstrated his selflessness by developing
the law to give citizenship to the Latins on the Italian penninsula. “He proposed that a
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colony of Roman citizens might be sent to re-people Tarentum and Capua, and that the
Latins should enjoy the same privileges with the citizens of Rome.” (Plutarch 4). This
law was not passed, but the law itself was ahead of its time and shows Gaius’s good
intentions for Rome. The most important sacrifice the brothers made for the Roman
people was their own lives. If Gaius Gracchus had been a selfish tyrant, he would not
have followed in the footsteps of his deceased brother. The path that Tiberius took lead to
his doom, but Gaius continued his mission regardless. Even when his wife warned him of
his fate, Gaius continued on to serve the Roman people. "’…You go now to expose your
person to the murderers of Tiberius, unarmed indeed, and rightly so, choosing rather to
suffer the worst of injuries than do the least yourself…’ Licinia, thus bewailing, Caius, by
degrees getting loose from her embraces, silently withdrew himself, being accompanied
by his friends; she, endeavouring to catch him by the gown, fell prostrate upon the earth,
lying there for some time speechless.” (Plutarch 7). Gaius put his country before
everything else; even his own life.
Rome was in a state of crisis during the period of the “Gracchan Revolution”. The
Roman military was lacking soldiers because of the absence of land-owners in Rome.
(Only men who owned land were able to serve in the army.) Also, there were many urban
poor roaming in the city without jobs, causing much disturbances and trouble. Attempting
to provide a solution, Tiberius introduced the Lex Sempronia Agaria in 134 BC, a reform
to distribute public land to the urban poor of Rome. It would create more eligible soldiers
and by giving land to the urban poor, it would keep them busy farming and away from
the city. It was extremely popular with most Roman people, but opposed by the nobility,
who feared the loss of their land to the urban poor. Richards declares that it was only
greed that conflicted this law: “It was greed that made the men of wealth and substance
hate the law, and their anger and malice brought them to hate its proposer.” (Richards
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65). Plutarch also believes the law was just, but met with unnecessary resistance: “Never
did any law appear more moderate and gentle, especially being enacted against such great
oppression and avarice.” (Plutarch 4). Gaining much popularity from this law, the
aristocrats of Rome feared the new-found power of Tiberius. Boren believes that it was
not the law, but fear of Tiberius’s intentions that “drove them to violence”: “The nobles
feared some future action; they suspected that Tiberius aimed for some sort of complete
overturn; and their apprehensions drove them to violence.” (Boren 359).
Though some attempted to tarnish Tiberius’s name, there was no proof of his
wrongdoing and the Roman people continued to follow him. “They therefore
endeavoured to seduce the people, declaring that Tiberius was designing a general redivision of lands, to overthrow the government, and cut all things into confusion. But
they had no success.” (Plutarch 4). Even Gaius was accused of conspiracy and attempts to
become a tyrant of Rome, but could not be proven guilty, as stated by Plutarch: “After
this they brought other accusations and writs against him, for exciting insurrection
amongst the allies, and being engaged in the conspiracy that was discovered about
Fregalle. But having cleared himself of every suspicion, and proved his entire innocence,
he now at once came forward to ask for the tribuneship...” (Plutarch 2). Both the
brothers were judged as power-hungry and conspirators, but no evidence was ever
brought against them; only empty charges.
Not only were their laws just and beneficial to Rome, but the Gracchi reached out
to the Roman people. Gaius shows his loyalty to the Roman people when serving as
tribune through his posture and position. “…and whereas other popular leaders had
always hitherto, when speaking, turned their faces towards the senate-house, …he, on the
contrary, was the first man that in his harangue to the people turned himself the other
way, towards them, and continued after that time to do so. An insignificant movement
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and change of posture, yet it marked no small revolution in state affairs, the conversion,
in a manner, of the whole government from an aristocracy to a democracy, his action
intimating that public speakers should address themselves to the people, not the senate.”
(Plutarch 3). Gaius spoke to the Roman population instead of the senate; he appealed to
the majority, instead of the minority. He once said to the Roman people: “Nobody comes
and speaks before you for nothing, but what I ask you for is not money, but what you
think well of me and hold me in your honour. [sic]” (Richards 119). This shows Gaius’s
respect towards the will of the people, not his own will.
Furthermore, the Gracchi cared for the people because they worked to gain power
for the plebians, rather than the patricians. Tiberius Gracchus changed the government so
that plebians could veto over the senate, but the senate could not veto over the consilium
plebis. The aristocracy certainly disliked the idea of losing power to the common people
of Rome. However, the plebians praised the new reform and their dedication and
admiration towards Tiberius grew even stronger. Some may have doubted Tiberius, but
his followers were never let down by him. "If Tiberius had commanded it, it would have
been right for me to do it; for he never would have commanded it, if it had not been for
the people's good." (Plutarch 9). The Gracchi had a noble reputation and character that
the people extolled, and their actions never tarnished it.
Tiberius and Gaius Gracchus did not win the popularity of the people through
propaganda or bribery, but by their character and honesty towards the Roman population.
They fought for the rights of their people to the death. “For the sake of restoring the land
to the people he had determined to endure any labour, and any danger, right to his very
last breath.” (Richards 65). Their enemies were not created by wrongdoing on their part,
but only jealousy and fear of losing their own power. Tiberius and Gaius changed the
Roman government forever by giving the Roman people the power they deserved. The
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two brothers truly cared for the Roman people and never committed an act that would
prove otherwise.
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Works Cited
Boren, Henry. "Tiberius Gracchus: The Opposition View." The American Journal of
Philology 82.4 (1961): 358-369. JSTOR. Web. 18 Oct. 2010.
Plutarch. "Plutarch Life of Tiberius Gracchus." Sir Thomas Browne. N.p., n.d. Web. 18
Oct. 2010.
<http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Tiberius_
Gracchus*.html>.
Plutarch. "Plutarch Life of Caius Gracchus." Sir Thomas Browne. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct.
2010.
<http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Caius_Gra
cchus*.html>.
Richardson, Keith. Daggers in the Forum: The revolutionary lives and violent deaths of
the Gracchus brothers. London: Cassell, 1976. Print.
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